Seroprevalence of Hepatitis A in 7-10 year-old children

Objective: Hepatitis A is one of the most common infections during childhood, especially in developing countries. Regarding the high prevalence of the disease in Iran, this study was performed to detect the rate of the contact of the children of Zanjan/Iran with the virus of hepatitis A (HAV).
Material & Methods: In a cross-sectional study, total anti HAV was assayed by ELISA method in serum samples of 300 children, aged 7-10 years, selected by multistage random sampling. The results were statistically analyzed. 27 children did not agree to participate in the study.
Findings: Out of 273 samples, including 134 males and 139 females, 121 children (44.3%) had serum antibody against Hepatitis A. Of these children, 42%, 45.4% and 45.3% were 7-8, 8-9 and 9-10 years of age, respectively. No significant difference was found among age groups or between sex groups.
Conclusion: According to this study, 44.3% of 7-10 year-old children have had previous contact with hepatitis A virus. This shows a high rate of seronegativity and sensitivity in adult community. Therefore, especially with regard to the high frequency of travels of the people between Iran and neighboring countries, that have high prevalence of disease, revision of national prevention protocol is recommended.